Teaching sight words can be hard, especially when you have such a range of learners in your class. As teachers, we want to meet the needs of all of our students, while making learning engaging and fun. With so much on our plates, it often feels impossible to do. It’s overwhelming just to think about differentiating for all of our students.
You’re Not Alone
I know I’m not the only one who often feels stressed out about differentiating for all of my students. Who has time to plan 20 different activities for your students to do while you meet with a reading group? Not me.
What If…
Can you imagine if differentiating for your students took less than one minute? (You read that right, something that is actually easy for a change!) You could have more time to focus on what you’re actually teaching, but still, know that ALL of your kids are getting exactly what they need.
Using Sight Word Flash Cards the RIGHT Way
When most people hear the words “flash cards,” they immediately think of drill and kill. Let me be clear, that is NOT what I’m talking about here.
In my classroom, I use “flash cards,” which are really just pieces of paper with a sight word on them, to easily differentiate activities for my students. Let me show you how.
Before any sight word instruction begins, I assess my students on sight words to find out their baseline. Once I have my baseline data, I create an individualized sight word “program” for each of my students.
I start by sending them home with the first set of sight words that they did not master. Their sight words get sent home in a mini pocket folder which gets sent back and forth from home to school each day.
The sight word flashcards that they have already mastered and the ones they are currently learning get hole-punched and put on a binder ring. This is their very own sight word ring.
While I am working with a guided reading group, my students are working on other tasks. (Chromebooks, read to self, word work, or maybe with a para). They take their sight word ring and choose from the word work options (ex. whiteboards, wikki stix, letter stamps in playdough, magnetic letters, rainbow writing, and letter beads). They might write their words, or use their words in a sentence. This is such an easy and effective way to differentiate because each of my students is working on words that they need to learn.
Learn More
Using sight word flashcards to create word rings is a simple and effective way to differentiate for your students.
Want to learn more about how I teach sight words in my classroom? Click here to sign up for the free sight word email series!
Differentiate Now
Are you ready to use sight word flashcards to differentiate in your classroom? You can make your own, or download the entire editable program that I’ve already created! Click here to download it now!
